Do termites eat all types of wood?

Also known as the silent destroyer of homes, termites are one of the most dangerous household pests to have around. These social insects can wreak havoc on homes without you even noticing its presence or activities. That’s to show you the extent to which termites are capable of damaging wood.

Apart from just randomly eating logs of woods, termites are fond of also attacking the wood in the basement, attic, and other parts of the home. This is usually done without anyone noticing their presence. With this, termites can spread across a wide area and build a well-developed colony.

Perhaps you have been wanting to know if termites eat all types of wood or if they are selective when it comes to their choice of what to consume? Right here, we will be explaining the feeding habits of termites.

What do termites eat?

Cellulose being the principal source of nutrients for termites and the main building block of organic matter, it is readily available in different forms on the planet. This puts termites at an advantage because they can easily get their food from woody materials such as plants, paper products, plant byproducts, and logs of wood. Irrespective of the species of termite, their primary source of food is wood. Some species live their entire life on wood.

Why do termites eat wood?

Unlike other insects, termites have a digestive system that allows them to break down wood to extract the cellulose in it. This digestion is done with the help of the bacteria and protozoa living in their guts. These organisms degrade the wood fiber allowing other enzymes in the gut of the termites to extract the cellulose in the wood. The ability of termites to degrade wood in order to be able to extract cellulose from it is the major reason why they eat wood.

What types of wood do termites prefer?

The choice of the type of wood to eat depends on the species of the termite. Each species has its own preferred choice and will most likely go for that which they prefer. For instance, subterranean termites are always attracted to the soft fiber part of springwood and will often neglect the harder summerwood.

In the case of drywood termites, no other wood does it better than timber hardwood. They are always out to look for furniture, house framing, and floors made from hardwood.

While devouring wood, this species of termites doesn’t need to have direct contact with the soil. All they need is structural wood and they are good to go. Unlike other termites, the damage they cause on wood surfaces is usually smooth. Lastly, dampwood termites prefer wood that is either decaying or wet. Their preference is because of their likeness for moist weather conditions with high humidity. These species of insects hardly go after wood without moisture.